Changing Fate
AN: Just a note, I'm going away for four days from Tuesday. That means no writing at all for four whole days. As soon as I get back I'll try to write the next chapter really quickly but I'll have homework to do also so I might not get it up straight away on Saturday. Sorry! It's not that long. Oh and one thing to remember for this chapter if you didn't see it in a previous Author's Note. The Heroes of Olympus never happened, okay? (:
Chapter 29: The Broken and the Fixed
"People cry, not because they're weak. But because they've been strong for too long." ~Anon.
(From the point of view of Percy)
Every single face in the room turned to me. Piper's face was blank, impassive. Her hands were deadly still at her sides. I stepped back out of the room and glanced at Jason. He stood a little way down the hall. He was tense and every muscle in his body seemed taut. Judging by the look on Piper's face she didn't like the idea of seeing him.
I looked at her. "Do you want to see him?"
She swallowed. "Send him in."
I nodded to Jason. He immediately relaxed a little. He walked down the hall so quickly that it was almost a run. Piper went even more still, if it was possible, when he walked into the room. There was a heavy silence for a few moments. When Piper moved it was lightning quick. Annabeth's eyes widened a fraction as Piper's fist cracked against Jason's jaw. He stumbled backwards a few steps, from the impact of the punch, his eyes were wide and full of hurt. He looked like he was going to fall over and before he could regain his footing Piper grabbed the collar of shirt and pulled him to her. She kissed him so passionately that he didn't register what was going on for a second. His hands hung limply at his sides but the came around her waist, lifting her up. Her hands moved from his collar to around his neck and she wrapped her legs around his waist, still kissing him. There was an awkward silence as everybody averted their eyes. Annabeth raised her eyebrows, an amused smile tweaking at the edge of her lips. She looked like she was thinking, fickle much?
"Okay!" said Oliver loudly. "I'm afraid that I'm not the greatest fan of public displays of affection and your starting to make me ill. So please, get a room."
Piper broke away with a slightly stunned expression. Jason looked like somebody had hit him, which, in a way, somebody had.
Oliver rolled his eyes. His fedora was tilted to one side so it threw shadow over one of his eyes. He looked mysterious with one slate colored eye glittering from the gloom and his fire-like hair curling from beneath the brim. "Finally," he said. Emma tried to hold back her escaping smile. Jason put Piper down and she looked a little sheepish. Leo smirked at them from his position leaning against the wall. "Welcome back, Jason. I guess you haven't changed. You still find the most inappropriate times to arrive."
Jason turned to Leo and grinned. He slapped Leo across the back. "And you still haven't changed. Still pointing out the damn obvious."
They laughed at a joke that nobody else understood. Jason looked happier than he had in the entire time I'd known him. He had his girlfriend on his side and his best friend on his other side. He practically radiated light.
Annabeth looked at their smiles and smiled a little smile of her own and then settled back into the pillows. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and sighed. Her face went pale very suddenly and I rushed over.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
She smiled, keeping her eyes closed. "I'm fine, Percy. Just a little tired."
Piper bit her lip. "We should go."
Annabeth's eyes flew open. "No, don't leave me!"
I looked at her. "What? I'm not good enough for you?" I joked.
She laughed but her eyes didn't smile. "No... I just... don't want to be alone."
"I'll stay, then," said Piper.
"If Piper stays, I stay," said Jason. I looked around the room. It was a little crowded. Lena noticed my calculating look. She stood up.
"Emma? Oliver? I think we should go."
All three stood up. Lena threw a glance at Annabeth like she had something she wanted to say but she didn't speak. Hazel shrugged and looked at Reyna and Frank. "Okay, I guess we'll go too. I hope you feel better, Annabeth!"
As they all filed out Frank gave Jason a comforting pat on the shoulder. "Good to have you back, man."
Hazel gave him a quick hug. Reyna smiled a genuine smile at both of them and for once Piper didn't look away. Once the room had fallen into silence Leo stood up like he was going to leave.
"Where do you think you're going, Valdez?" said Annabeth.
"Uh, I thought everybody was leaving, so... you know, wouldn't want to intrude on your little couples club."
Annabeth frowned. "Since when has this been a couples club?"
Leo shrugged. "Since there were couples."
Annabeth sighed. "Let me remind you, Elf Boy that not one week ago, not three days ago I had nobody but you and Piper. Just because I find out that Percy is not dead doesn't mean I ditch you. Get back here and sit down, you idiot."
Leo chuckled good-naturedly and shook his head. "Even half-dead you can still insult me?"
Annabeth looked at him and shrugged. "So are you going to stay or what?"
Leo laughed and sat back down.
-oOo-
Piper, Jason and Leo stayed all through the day. Jason and I told the girls and Leo about Paris and life in San Francisco. Annabeth and Piper laughed about teasing some guy named Octavian. We talked for hours until Annabeth fell fast asleep in the middle of a sentence and the others decided it was best to leave.
Annabeth didn't sleep soundly that night. She shivered and whimpered and screamed. She lashed out in her sleep and her face was contorted in silent sobs. I ended up sleeping in the armchair in the bedroom. I didn't want to leave her alone. I didn't want her to ever be alone again. Granted, it wasn't exactly comfortable but I managed. I drifted off after a few hours of worrying about Annabeth. The nightmares didn't haunt me that night but I woke up and slept on and off. I kept feeling like I should be checking on her, like she needed protecting.
When I woke up in the morning she was curled up into a tiny ball in one corner of the bed. I stood up and stretched out my stiff muscles. The morning was bright. I opened the blinds a little so some shafts of light spilt into the room. Annabeth didn't move. I sighed and went to take a shower.
There was something strange about being back in the apartment. We hadn't
lived in it very long before everything happened but it was like coming back to a place I'd lived in my entire life. The carpet felt soft, familiar. I knew my way around the rooms instinctively. After a shower I made some toast and wandered back into the bedroom with the plate to check on Annabeth. She was sitting up, the side of her head resting against the bed-head, her knees brought up to her chest. Her eyes were half closed in pain.
I sat down on the edge of the bed and put a hand on her arm comfortingly. She away flinched slightly. It was barely a flinch but it still sent a stab of worry through me.
"Annabeth?" I said, I could even hear the worry in my own voice.
She didn't turn to look at me but said quietly, "It just hurts."
"I know, it's fine. We're trying to get you some ambrosia or nectar."
She shook her head slightly and exhaled. "Won't help."
"It'll help the injuries. And help you get your strength back."
Annabeth nodded a little but I could see she didn't believe me. She went silent. She looked tired. Her face was pale and hollow. She looked terribly thin, her arms like sticks. She was a shadow, she looked breakable.
"I'm scared, Percy," Annabeth said after a long while of measured breathing. It hurt her to make a confession like that.
"Why're you scared?" I asked gently.
She shook her head, burying it in her knees. When she looked up I saw the sparkling trails of tears on her face. "Damn it!" she sobbed, bringing a fist down on the soft mattress fiercely. "He broke me! He damn broke me!"
She bit her chapped lip and a bead of blood welled up. I didn't really know what to say. I thought about her before the whole ordeal. How strong, how fierce she could be. How her eyes would get a determined, stormy look in them that told you she meant business. I looked at her now, her eyes shadowy and dark. At how much weight had dropped off her already slim figure. She wasn't well, this wasn't healthy.
"He didn't break you," I said. "Nobody broke you. The old Annabeth's in there somewhere, she's just hiding. You need to rest and recover and get back to your old self. After all you went through-" she held up a hand.
"Don't talk about it like that," she said, "like none of this was my doing. I know I caused it. It was all my fault. Everything is my fault. I was just fooled into believing dishonesty. Caught in a web of lies like a hopeless, ignorant fly."
She looked away bitterly. Every word, every action, was like another knife in the back. I couldn't stand to see her like this.
"This had nothing to do with-" I tried.
"Me? Of course it did," she looked away, her eyes clouded as she stared out the window. I figured the conversation was over. I sighed and ate my toast. I offered Annabeth some but she just shook her head. Just as I swallowed the last bite Annabeth's cell began to ring. She made no move to get it so I picked it up.
"Hello?" I said.
The end of the line was quiet briefly and then a nervous laugh came. "I could swear I just heard- never mind. We're back from the Cape!" announced my mom happily.
"Mom?"
Now the line went deadly silent. "I'm going insane, I swear..."
"No, Mom, it's me. I'm here."
"Oh, my-" she gave a strangled kind of sob. "Where are you? I'm coming right now!"
"I'm at the apartment-"
She hung up. I could just imagine her rushing to the car and racing over here, maybe running a few red lights. Annabeth didn't say much more. She didn't get up, just sat curled up with her eyes half closed. It was killing me to look at her so dull. No witty remarks or sarcastic observations slipped out of her lips. She was so cold, so distant. I wondered how much of the time she'd spent like this when I was gone. Had she hidden it? Was it only coming out now? I'd had dark days but she seemed absolutely desolate. She seemed to drift off to some semblance of sleep after a while or at least appeared to.
I stuffed around for a while, killing time. About fifteen minutes after the call the doorbell began to ring furiously, like somebody was pressing the button over and over and over. I rushed to the door, hoping she didn't wake Annabeth. As soon as the door opened wide enough my mother attacked me. She threw herself onto me and wrapped her arms around me, sobbing.
"Woah, Mom, calm down."
She sobbed some more. Paul stood behind her looking both stunned and vaguely amused. Minutes must have passed while she clung to me like a limpet to a rock. Eventually I managed to pry her off. She sniffed, rubbing her tear-streaked cheeks. She put her hands on my shoulders and stood a distance away. "Look at you."
"I'm sorry, Mom, but I can't, you know, look at myself on account of my eyes being inside my head."
She laughed and sniffed some more. I let them inside. Paul gave me a hug and told me he was happy to have me back. Mom kept shaking her head. "How come Annabeth didn't tell me you were okay?" she wondered as she took a seat on the sofa.
I looked away. "Annabeth hasn't... been very well."
My mom looked alarmed. "What happened?"
I sighed and recounted what little I knew. She'd moved in with Ethan after the incident, Mom already knew that. Everything had been fine, up until a few days ago. That was when the details got sketchy. I knew he'd attacked her, injured her and injected her with some kind of poison slash hallucinogen so he could use her as a sacrifice for some far flung ritual but beyond that there were few details. I'd come back to New York, found her and fought off Ethan. He'd escaped, she'd collapsed. Emma and Lena had saved her and she was recovering.
My mom gasped a little each time I described something that happened.
"Where is she now?" she asked fearfully.
"Resting," I said. "She's..." - my voice cracked a little - "She's not doing too good."
She put her hand on mine. "It'll all be fine, Percy. Don't worry."
I nodded.
"So where have you been all this time?" asked my mom abruptly. "What exactly happened?"
I took a deep breath and let it out, wondering where to begin. There was a lot to tell. I started with the night at the hospital. I hated telling it but they deserved to know. Then the fight. Being found by Jason. Everything up until the moment she called only minutes ago. Neither my mom or Paul said anything through the whole thing. At the end she just looked at me, tears threatening to spill over. It takes a lot to make Sally Jackson cry. I'd been in wars over the years, fought for my life, been injured and hurt and on the edge but this was different. This time she'd actually thought I was dead. Everybody had. There was a lot of explaining to do.
My mom took a deep breath, a hand over her mouth.
"How on earth did this all happen?" she said, and shook her head.
I didn't know, so I said nothing. The past few months had been like a maze. They were dark, confusing and they seemed like a never ending tunnel with no light to reach. Now that I'd found my way out of that tangle there was just a whole lot more that needed figuring out. Things were just more complicated. Doors remained locked and bolted. In a way, I was still stumbling in the dark. I didn't know what to do about Ethan. I didn't know how to support Annabeth or if the wedding was still on. I didn't know the situation with the tenants and Jupiter Enterprises or if I still had a job. Where were Thalia and Rachel and Grover? Had Camp Half-Blood heard about this? Were the gods angry I'd come back to Annabeth? There were too many questions. My head had started pounding.
My mom and step-dad looked at me with concern.
"I'm fine," I assured them. "Just tired and confused and..."
She put her arm around me. "Don't worry about it. Things'll sort themselves out."
I sighed. "Have Thalia and Rachel heard about this?"
Mom shook her head and frowned. "Last I heard Thalia was abroad looking for her brother. I guess Rachel is still at Camp Half-Blood or something. Whatever she knows, they know."
"Wait, Thalia has a brother?" I said, frowning.
My mom rolled her eyes like, duh. "You don't really pay attention to your friends, do you?"
"What's that meant to mean!" I protested.
She just shook her head. "He was a son of Jupiter whereas Thalia was a daughter of Zeus. It was one of those rare occasions where Zeus visited their mother twice, in his different aspects, Roman and Greek. He went to the Roman camp while Thalia did well, you know about Thalia's past."
"So how did they get separated?" I asked.
Mom frowned. "I don't really know, actually. I only know she found out he was alive somehow. She convinced Artemis to give her some leave so she could try to find him. Apparently she really cared about him it really mattered to her, finding him, I mean."
I processed that for a moment. Thalia had a brother she never told us about. They were separated some time when they were really young and now she was looking for him. I could cut her some slack but it still didn't explain why Rachel had gone AWOL on Annabeth right when it was getting tough.
"So how exactly did you find this out?" I questioned.
"I make a point of keeping up with things," she said with a sly smile.
I turned to Paul. "You're in on this too?"
He tried to look innocent. "In on what?"
"Well, you know all this stuff and you don't tell me. Is this some kind of conspiracy?"
Mom held up her hands. "Percy, after everything that's happened over the years, don't you think I'd want to make sure you're okay? I am your mom, after all."
I nodded reluctantly. "I guess so."
My mind was buzzing. There was something that needed to be clicked into place. Some connection that was yet to be made.
"So you say he's a son of Jupiter, huh?"
She nodded.
"They aren't to common," I said.
"He'd be something Grace," she said. "Just like Thalia."
I blinked. "Grace?"
She nodded again. I swore under my breath. Son of Jupiter. Younger brother. Roman demigod. Last name Grace.
"Jason is Thalia's brother!" I exclaimed and stood up abruptly.
"What?" Sally and Paul looked confused.
My eyes were wide in disbelief. "When I went to San Francisco, I worked for a company called Jupiter Enterprises. There was a guy there called Jason Grace. I don't know why I never saw it before. He's Thalia's brother. I have to tell Annabeth!"
Mom stood up, her eyes unsure. "You're absolutely certain?"
"Mom, I've never been so sure. He's a son of Jupiter. He's the right age. His name is Jason Grace."
She blinked. "You're kidding."
"No, It's true. I need to tell Annabeth. Need to contact somebody. This is important."
She nodded. Paul looked startled.
I took a few deep breaths, making myself think back. Validating my evidence. It was true. It had to be. I debated for a second if it was worth waking Annabeth. She was tired and recovering. But she'd want to be in the loop. Thalia was somebody she cared about. I eventually decided it was better for her to know.
"I'll be back in a minute," I told them.
I moved quickly down the hall to the bedroom, my mind buzzing with the possibilities of what we'd just discovered. Annabeth would be so amazed. I walked within sight of the door when something caught my eye. The door was open about halfway. I bit my lip, straining to remember if I'd left it open or if I'd shut it. I was almost positive I'd shut it so that there would be nothing to disturb her. Then why was it open? As my breathing became quicker, I tried to console myself with the thought that she'd perhaps just gotten up to take a shower. But as I grew closer the dead, leaden feeling in my stomach only grew and I felt like I would throw up when I opened the door. The bed was empty. I moved frantically, basically sprinting as I checked the bathroom, kitchen, tv room and spare rooms. Empty, empty, empty, empty. I looked behind every chair, every sofa, every but of furniture. Nothing, nothing and a whole lot more nothing. I cursed repeatedly. I began to call her cell when there was a hollow ringing from the bedside table I knew it was no use. She'd left it was no conceivable way to reach her. I swallowed, trying to stop myself from hyperventilating. I rushed back into the living room. Mom and Paul both looked understandably stunned.
"What's going on, Percy?"
I ran a hand through my hair. I felt dizzy. "I can't lose her again. I can't... oh, hell."
I felt on the edge of breaking down. This was a realisation of my worst nightmares. She couldn't be gone. She just couldn't. I remembered what she'd said to me. I'm scared, Percy. Just the thought of her voice sent fresh waves of fear, rage and angst through me.
"This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening..." I chanted over and over.
"What isn't happening, love?" asked my mom.
I looked up, trying to hold myself together. I gulped. "Annabeth's gone," I said. "And I have no idea where to look."
Okay, so it's not as long as some chapters but not every chapter has to be, like, four and a half thousand words, right? Hope you enjoyed it! Don't forget, next update might be a little while! (:
Bye!
xoxo
